KR102528122B1 - Chemical Delivery Method and Apparatus for Brush Conditioning - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure provides embodiments that provide delivery of chemicals to condition brushes offline, where the brush is not coupled to a machine that uses the brush to clean the surface of an object.

Description

Chemical Delivery Method and Apparatus for Brush Conditioning

related application

This international application claims priority to US patent application Ser. No. 15/599,980, filed May 19, 2017, entitled "Method and Apparatus for Delivering Chemicals for Brush Conditioning." The entire contents of US patent application Ser. No. 15/599,980 are incorporated herein by reference.

technology field

The present disclosure relates to chemical delivery methods and apparatus for chemical delivery, and more specifically brush conditioning.

In the semiconductor manufacturing industry and other industries, brushes are used to remove contaminants from surfaces such as semiconductor wafers. Conventional brushes are not supplied from manufacturers in a ready-to-use condition. Instead, brushes are typically conditioned (or “conditioned”) before being used for the intended product.

The limitations and disadvantages of conventional approaches to brush conditioning will become apparent to those skilled in the art through a comparison of the foregoing approaches with some aspects of the methods and systems of the present invention described in the remainder of this disclosure, with reference to the drawings.

A chemical delivery method and apparatus for brush conditioning substantially as exemplified and described in connection with at least one of the drawings, as more fully set forth in the claims, is provided.

These and/or other aspects will be apparent and more readily understood from the following description of exemplary embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
1A shows an exemplary offline brush conditioning system in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.
1B shows an exemplary block diagram of an offline brush conditioning system in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.
2 is a graph illustrating an exemplary relationship between defects and conditioning time.
3 shows an exemplary configuration of a brush and conditioning plate for brush conditioning, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.
4A shows an exemplary method of transferring chemical to a brush, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.
4B shows another exemplary method of transferring chemical to a brush, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.
5 is a flow diagram of an exemplary method for delivering chemicals to an offline brush conditioning system in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.
The drawings are not necessarily to scale. Where appropriate, like or identical reference numbers are used to refer to like or identical elements.

A variety of applications and processes can benefit from physical cleaning of surfaces. For example, in semiconductor manufacturing, semiconductor wafers may be cleaned to remove potentially harmful contaminants during one or more stages of fabricating electronic circuitry on the wafer. Cleaning can be done, for example, by means of a brush brought into contact with the surface being cleaned. Conventional brushes are not supplied from manufacturers in a ready-to-use condition. For example, a brush may contain contaminants that prevent the object from being cleaned. Accordingly, there may be a desire to condition (season, condition) a brush to remove contaminants to an acceptable level for the intended use of the brush. Additionally or alternatively, one or more substances may be applied to condition the brush for a particular cleaning application.

It should be understood that various embodiments of the present disclosure may be used for different applications, and reference will be made to conditioning the surface of a semiconductor wafer as an example in this disclosure.

During the manufacturing process for semiconductor wafers, a number of contaminants can be found on the semiconductor wafer surface, such as in the form of organic and/or inorganic particles. These contaminants will typically result in device damage and poor wafer yield. Moreover, for each new semiconductor technology node, the critical size of defects on a semiconductor wafer and the number of allowable defects on a semiconductor wafer become smaller.

The semiconductor industry may use post-chemical mechanical planarization (pCMP) cleaning in semiconductor device manufacturing, in which case brushes, such as polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) brushes, are used with application specific cleaning agents and/or to remove particles from semiconductor wafer surfaces. Can be used with chemicals.

The various brush types, including PVAc brushes, are washed out and/or exposed to fluids such as deionized water (DIW) and/or detergents/chemicals, either by the nature of the material itself and/or by the brush manufacturing/transport process. will naturally emit particles (organic and/or inorganic) when The amount of particles released may be related to the nature of the fluid the brush is exposed to (DIW, detergent, etc.), as well as the process conditions under which the brush is used (eg, fluid flow rate, brush rotational speed, etc.).

The brush may be cleaned by the brush manufacturer to reduce the level of releaseable contamination prior to delivery to the end user, and the end user may prefer different thresholds for the reference level of particulate contamination in the brush.

This is because some brushes are typically packaged, transported, and stored hydrated with preservatives to prevent bacterial growth and product spoilage. Preservation, packaging, transport and storage processes (eg, shelf life) can all adversely affect the original intended properties of the brush and can contribute to the number of particles that can be released from the brush.

The nature of the brush manufacturing process, as well as preservation, packaging, shipping and/or shelf life issues, all require that the brush be condition (or seasoned) to remove some of the particles prior to use by the end user in a production tool in a semiconductor manufacturing facility. or adjustment) may be a complex factor that requires adjustment.

The actual semiconductor layer being processed can dictate the acceptable level (and size) of particles emitted from the brush, and therefore the time required to condition the brush. The time required to condition the brush can range from 10 minutes to 24 hours or more. A conventional method of conditioning a brush involves performing a conditioning process using a dummy wafer to clean the brush in a system that performs final product cleaning. The resulting productivity loss and ultimately high operating costs are detrimental to the end user.

The disclosed exemplary system for conditioning a brush with an offline brush conditioning system removes chemicals from a source to deliver the chemicals to a conditioning plate, a brush holding device configured to hold the brush, and either or both the brush and the conditioning plate. It includes a conduit configured to receive it. The brush is configured to clean a surface of an object, for example a semiconductor wafer, and the conditioning plate and the brush are configured to contact each other to condition the brush.

The disclosed exemplary method of conditioning a brush with an off-line brush conditioning system includes receiving a chemical flow, holding/holding a brush with a brush holding device, the brush configured to clean the surface of an object, such as a semiconductor wafer, for example. holding, bringing the brush and conditioning surface into contact with each other, and transferring a chemical for conditioning to either or both of the brush and conditioning surface. Also, collecting at least a portion of the chemical transferred to either or both of the brush and the conditioning surface into the one or more reservoirs and using a corresponding volume monitor for the one or more reservoirs to measure the volume of the chemical collected by the one or more reservoirs. It further includes the step of monitoring.

1A shows an exemplary offline brush conditioning system in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 1A , an offline brush conditioning system 100 is shown which may include one or more brush stations 110 , a user interface 120 and a status indicator light 130 .

There may be any number of individual brush stations 110 that may be used to condition multiple brushes simultaneously. Each brush station 110 may accommodate one brush for conditioning, in which case conditioning may include multi-step processing capabilities (e.g., brush pressing, brush rotation speed, DIW flushing and/or rinsing, etc.). there is. Multiple brush stations 110 can be set up to condition brushes using the same process and/or can be set up independently to condition brushes using different processes. Also, while brush station 110 has been described as conditioning a single brush, in other examples multiple brushes may be conditioned by a single brush station 110.

When the brush station 110 is conditioning a brush, that brush can be isolated from cross-contamination by other consumables. When the brush station 110 is configured to handle multiple brushes, a barrier may be provided to isolate the brushes from each other to reduce cross-contamination. The amount of contamination on the brush(s) may be monitored.

User interface 120 (eg, touch screen, display panel, buttons, keyboard and mouse, etc.) may be used to input commands to condition the brush(s) on brush station 110 and also to observe the conditioning status of the brushes. can For example, user interface 120 can be used to monitor and control the torque/speed used to rotate a brush when it is being conditioned.

The status light 130 may blink and/or display different colors, for example, to inform the end user of the processing status for the brush. The state indicated by the status light 130 may depend on design.

In operation, one or more brushes may be placed in the offline brush conditioning system 100 and the conditioning process may begin. If different brush stations 110 are set up for different conditioning processes, which may take different times, the user interface 120 may provide additional status indications for each station 110. If different brush stations 110 are set up for different conditioning processes, which may take different times, the user interface 120 may provide additional status indications for each brush station 110.

Offline brush conditioning system 100 may be coupled to fluid delivery system 101 to receive fluid(s) for use by offline brush conditioning system 100 . The fluid delivery system 101 may belong to an end user, for example.

1B shows an exemplary block diagram of an offline brush conditioning system in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 1B , an offline brush comprising a brush station 110, a fluid inlet system 140, a fluid outlet system 150, a control system 160, an input/output interface 170 and a motor system 180. A conditioning system 100 is shown.

The brush station 110 may receive a brush having a shape such as, for example, a cylindrical roller. Various embodiments of the present disclosure may have a fixed axis for receiving a brush, and other embodiments may have a fixed axis that may allow for receiving a brush at a different angle and/or adjusting the angle after the brush is received. there is. This may allow more flexibility in conditioning the brush and/or accommodating different shaped brushes.

Fluid intake system 140 may include various fixtures to introduce fluid into offline brush conditioning system 100 used to condition brushes and/or for other purposes. A fixture may be provided that is coupled to the fluid delivery system 101 for a fluid such as, for example, a chemical for conditioning. Various embodiments of the present disclosure may allow for coupling to a plurality of fluid conduits provided by, for example, fluid delivery system 101 . As such, it may allow rapid changes of fluid during use of the off-line brush conditioning system 100. Fluid intake system 140 may also include a distribution system that dispenses fluid received to the brush(s) to condition the brush(s). Some embodiments may also have containers as part of the fluid inlet system 140 that may be used to store fluid. This can be used, for example, to provide a buffer in case of a pressure drop for fluid inlet. This may be used to allow the offline brush conditioning system 100 to be used when not connected to an end user fluid supply line, for example.

The fluid outflow system 150 may include devices for removing fluid (ie, outflow) used in the process of conditioning the various fixtures and brushes. In some embodiments, fluid outlet system 150 may have dedicated outlet conduits corresponding to specific sections of brush station 110 . This may allow, for example, to monitor runoff for characteristics of specific parts of the brush. Fluid effluent system 150 may thus include a monitoring device capable of determining particular characteristics in the effluent.

Control system 160 may include various modules that control the operation of offline brush conditioning system 100 . For example, one or more processors (microprocessors, microcontrollers, etc.) may be provided that execute code stored in memory and process data received from an external device or via the I/O interface 170. At this point, the processor(s) may control the operation of the brush conditioning process, including rotational speed of the brush and compression of the brush against the conditioning plate. This may allow, for example, to control the level of conditioning applied to the brush (eg, pressure, intensity, duration, chemical reaction, etc.).

The processor(s) may also switch between a plurality of fluids when the offline brush conditioning system 100 is coupled to receive different types of fluids from an end user or possibly using a container if a container is available. can control.

The control system 160 may also control flow rates of fluids, such as chemicals and/or ultra-pure water (UPW). Since the characteristics of UPW may be different for each application, they will not be described. Accordingly, it should be understood that UPW refers to water that is considered to have appropriate "UPW" characteristics for the application in question. The control system 160 may also control the dilution of chemicals using fluid from a container or from another end user conduit, for example if a container is available.

The I/O interface 170 allows information and commands to be entered into the offline brush conditioning system 100, as well as may include a display and/or various devices capable of communicating with external devices. For example, user interface 120 may be part of I/O interface 170 . I/O interface 170 may also include one or more of various buttons, switches, LEDs/indicators, keyboards, mice, trackballs, etc., for example, for inputting input values as well as displaying outputs. The I/O interface 170 may also include various ports for wired communication, such as a USB port, an Ethernet port, and the like. I/O interface 170 may also support wireless communication technologies and protocols, such as, for example, cellular communication, Bluetooth communication, short range wireless communication, Wi-Fi communication, RFID communication, and the like.

I/O interface 170 may be used to display status to a remote station or device and/or to enable remote control of offline brush conditioning system 100. I/O interface 170 may also allow updates of various software/firmware and applications on offline brush conditioning system 100 via a wired or wireless connection. Additionally, I/O interface 170 may enable remote control of offline brush conditioning system 100.

Motor system 180 may include one or more motors used to rotate one or more brushes for conditioning. The motor(s) in motor system 180 may include any suitable motor to rotate the brush(s) as they are being conditioned. Motors in motor system 180 may be controlled to have variable speed and/or torque. Various embodiments may also include a motor system capable of providing information regarding current torque. This information can be used, for example, to determine whether conditioning is proceeding as expected. Various embodiments may provide one motor to drive one brush, and other embodiments may provide one motor to drive multiple brushes. Still other embodiments may enable one motor to drive one brush or multiple brushes.

2 is a graph illustrating an exemplary relationship between defects and conditioning time. Referring to FIG. 2 , a graph 200 showing defects on the Y-axis and time on the X-axis is shown. At the time T0 when brush conditioning first begins, there may be an unacceptable level of “defective” UL, in which case the defect refers to the amount of particles released and/or the particle size emitted by the brush. Defects can be monitored, for example, by inspecting the effluent. As conditioning continues over time, the defect level may be reduced to an acceptable level AL at time T1. Time T1 can vary depending on the level of defects required. Any amount of time used to condition the brush(s) by the off-line brush conditioning system 100 will allow the production system to continue to operate to produce semiconductor wafers, thus invaluable production time and money for the end user. is the amount of time that can be saved. In some cases, certain types of brushes may have features that allow conditioning to be set for a period of time without the need to monitor for defects.

3 shows an exemplary configuration of a brush and conditioning plate for brush conditioning, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 3 , a diagram 300 illustrating a conditioning plate (conditioning surface) 310 in brush station 110 is shown. Brush 320 includes an axial opening 322 . One end of the axial opening 322 may be used to hold the brush 320 when it is used, for example, to clean the surface of a semiconductor wafer. When the brush 320 is being conditioned, the brush support 330 can be used to hold the brush 320. Exemplary brush supports 330 may include brackets, posts, and/or any other type of support. Brush support 330 may be coupled to motor system 180 . Fluid used to condition the brush may enter the brush 320 through the end of the axial opening not coupled to the brush support 330 . The brush support 330 can be sized differently to allow different sized axial openings that different brushes may have. Various other parts can be used to securely fasten the brush 320 to the coupling part 322, but since the method of fastening a structure such as the brush 320 to the brush support part 330 is well known, these will be discussed herein. I won't explain that part.

The conditioning plate 310 may be flat or may have other shapes, such as a curved surface. The surface can be flat, concave, convex, tubular, reticulated, and/or biased (eg, left to right) to alter the conditioning characteristics of the brush 320 . The conditioning plate 310 determines the properties of the surface to be cleaned by the conditioned brush (eg, Si, SiO ₂ , SiC, SiOC, SiN, W, TiW, TiN, TaN, Cu, Ru, GaAs, GaP, InP, sapphire). , any combination of these materials, etc.), for example glass, quartz, silicon dioxide, polysilicon, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, tungsten, titanium, titanium nitride, aluminum, aluminum oxide, tantalum, tantalum nitride, copper, ruthenium, cobalt It may be formed of a suitable material such as the like.

Surface 312 of conditioning plate 310 may have different characteristics required for conditioning brush 320 . For example, the conditioning plate 310 may have a smooth or rough surface 312 and may include an abrasive material such as SiO ₂ , SiC, Al ₂ O ₃ , CeO _{2 ,} and the like. Accordingly, to provide different feature(s) for surface 312, surface 312 may be replaced, if appropriate, and conditioning plate 310 may be replaced. The surface 312 used to condition the brush 320 may contact the entire brush or only a portion of the brush 320 .

Different brushes 320 may have different sizes in length, diameter of axial opening 322 and/or outer diameter. The brush support 330 and conditioning plate 310 may be adjusted and/or interchanged to accommodate different sizing and/or conditioning requirements. Control system 160 may also account for the different magnitudes when controlling motor speed/torque and/or flow of fluid to condition brush 320 .

Conditioning plate 310 may be moved, for example, by a motor (not shown) connected to one or more legs 314 . The motor can be, for example, a stepper motor that can move the conditioning plate 310 forward into contact with the brush 320, in which case the brush 320 can be stationary or rotated. The degree of contact between the conditioning plate 310 and the brushes 320 can be monitored and controlled by distance (eg, 0-5 mm compression) and/or brush motor torque output. Monitoring and control may be performed, for example, by control system 160 .

Various embodiments may characterize (map) the pressure applied to the conditioning plate 310 by the brush 320, such as through built-in or adhesive tactile pressure sensors in the conditioning plate 310.

The quality of the brush 320 (eg, concentricity, brush uniformity, etc.) can be directly or indirectly confirmed using the torque data. Various embodiments may also adjust the conditioning process based on various feedback data, such as contact area, pressure, force, etc., that may be collected by various pressure sensing devices.

3, brush 320 is coupled to brush support 330 on the left side so that when brush 320 is conditioned, the motor moves brush 320 at various speeds (e.g., up to 1000 RPM). ) to rotate, and the torque output of the motor can be monitored. The right side of the brush 320 may allow fluid (chemical, UPW, etc.) transfer into the interior of the brush 320 . This is shown in more detail in Figure 4a. The transfer of fluid (chemical and/or UPW) may be directed to the outer surface of the brush 320 . This is shown in more detail in FIG. 4b. Various embodiments may deliver fluid to both the inner surface of the brush 320 and the outer surface of the brush 320 . Fluid flow to brush 320 may be controlled by, for example, one or more valves manually controllable by an operator or automatically controllable by control system 160 . The flow can be varied to different ranges, such as an exemplary range of 0 to 5 GPM.

Furthermore, fluid may also be delivered to the conditioning plate 310 . Transfer of fluid to the conditioning plate 310 may occur at the appropriate time to condition the brush 320 . Additionally, some embodiments may allow different fluids to be delivered to brush 320 and conditioning plate 310 .

4A shows an exemplary method of transferring chemical to a brush, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 4A , a brush station 110 with a brush 320 is shown. As described above with respect to FIG. 3 , brush support 330 may be used to hold brush 320 . The sleeve 332 may be used, for example, to assist in coupling the brush 320 to the brush support 330 and/or to prevent leakage of the fluid 410 conveyed into the axial opening 322 of the brush 320. It may serve as a seal to prevent or include a seal. Thus, the fluid 410 being conveyed can flow from the interior of the brush 320 to the surface of the brush 320 during the conditioning process for the brush 320 .

Conduit 420 may be used to transport fluid 410 from the end user's fluid delivery system 101 to each brush station 11 . The offline brush conditioning system 100 may also be configured to connect to a number of conduits in the end user's fluid delivery system 101 to allow delivery of various types of fluid to the offline brush conditioning system 100 . Thus, an end user may have the ability to transfer specific fluid(s) to the offline brush conditioning system 100.

Conduit 420 may also include a valve 430 that may be used to adjust the flow rate and pressure of fluid delivered to brush 320 . A manual valve 430 is shown, although various embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. Valve 430 may be operated manually and/or remotely via control system 160 . Valve 430 may also include, for example, a pressure sensor (not shown) on the input and/or a pressure sensor (not shown) on the output, in which case the pressure(s) may be determined by valve 430, It may be presented on a display such as user interface 120 and/or on a remote device. Valve 430 may also show an indicator mark or other display indicating fluid flow rate. The fluid flow rate may be displayed on a display such as user interface 120 and/or a remote device.

Although not shown, various embodiments of the present disclosure may also include other mechanisms (including pumps) to increase the pressure at which the fluid is transported or decrease the pressure of the transported fluid.

Conduit 420 may also include various mechanisms that may deliver fluid to multiple nozzles in brush station 110 (shown in FIG. 4B). For example, a manifold can be used to allow similar pressures and flow rates to the nozzles. A manifold may also be used to deliver fluid to a plurality of brushes 320 and/or brush stations 110 . A manifold may be used to deliver fluid to, for example, an axial opening 322 of a brush 320 .

Thus, it can be seen that various embodiments can receive multiple individual fluids either concentrated or diluted to a pH range of approximately 1 to 13 via a single conduit 420 or multiple conduits 420 . For example, highly corrosive chemicals such as hydrogen fluoride (HF) or dilute HF may be provided in dedicated conduits.

Fluids that can be accommodated by the offline brush conditioning system 100 include, but are not limited to, DIW, organic acids (citric acid, oxalic acid, propiolic acid, malic acid, formic acid, carbonic acid, sulfonic acid, etc.), surfactants, oxidizing agents (H _{2 0 2} , 0 ₃ , CO ₂ , inorganic peroxides, etc.), solvents (IPA, ethanol, ethylene acetate, DMSO, etc.), alkaline chemicals (NH ₄ 0H, KOH, NaOH, TMAH, ethanolamine, etc.) and all possible derivatives of such fluids can include

Coupling devices 422 and 424 can be used to couple the various conduits to each other, and can also provide or act as a seal to prevent fluid leakage.

4B shows another exemplary method of transferring chemical to a brush, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The transport system of FIG. 4B differs from that described with respect to FIG. 4A in that fluid is transported to the surface of the brush 320 . Thus, the fluid is dripped or sprayed onto the brush 320 through the nozzle 426 of the manifold 424 rather than being delivered to the axial opening 322 of the brush 320 . Fluids can be compressed or incompressible. Various embodiments of the present disclosure allow the spray pattern of nozzle 426 to be adjusted, and nozzle 426 can also be adjusted to allow for different flow rates through nozzle 426 .

A variety of well known techniques may be used to adjust the nozzles either manually or under the control of control system 160 . Additionally, in a particular configuration, each part of manifold 424 may be replaced individually, and manifold 424 may be replaced with another manifold 424 more suitable for brush 320 .

Thus, as shown with respect to FIGS. 4A and 4B , the fluid(s) may be conveyed through the brush 320 or onto the surface of the brush 320 . Various embodiments of the present disclosure may also allow fluid to be transported to the surface of and through brush 320 . Various embodiments of the present disclosure may also allow for fluid transfer to the surface of the conditioning plate 310 through a manifold and/or through a conduit, if available, during the conditioning process of the brush.

5 is a flow diagram of an exemplary method of delivering chemicals to an offline brush conditioning system, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. At 502 of the flowchart 500, the type of brush 320 to be conditioned is determined.

At 504 , the offline brush conditioning system 100 is set up to receive the brush 320 . This may be due to, for example, the size of the brush 320, the composition of the brush 320, the surface of the material cleaned by the brush 320 after the brush 320 has been conditioned, and the like. Thus, if the end user is able to supply more than one fluid to the offline brush conditioning system 100, the delivery of the fluid(s) to the brush 320 may be selected, i.e. the fluid is as shown in FIG. 4A. Whether transferred through the brush 320, or to the surface of the brush 320 as shown in FIG. 4B, or through the brush and to the surface of the brush 320, the fluid is ), the type of conditioning plate 310 used and when conditioning is complete is made.

At step 506, conditioning of the brush may be undertaken. For example, in embodiments of the present disclosure, conditioning plate 310 may be moved a suitable distance relative to brush 320 under the control of control system 160 . Brush 320 may be conditioned by rotating relative to conditioning plate 310 .

At 508, it may be determined whether conditioning is complete. This decision may depend on configuration and/or implementation. For example, conditioning can be for a set amount of time, or the conditioning time can depend on measuring defects during conditioning. When it is determined that conditioning is complete, the brush 320 may be removed at 510 and the process may begin again at 502 . If it is determined that conditioning is not complete, the brush 320 may continue to be conditioned at 506 . Determination may occur continuously or periodically at 508 .

The method and system of the present invention may be realized in hardware, software, and/or a combination of hardware and software. The methods and/or systems of the present invention may realize control system 160 in a centralized fashion, eg, in at least one computing system, or in a distributed fashion, where different elements are distributed across a number of interconnected computing systems. Any type of computing system or other device adapted to practice the methods described herein is suitable. A typical combination of hardware and software may comprise a general purpose computing system having programs or codes that, when loaded or executed, control the computing system to carry out the methods described herein. Other typical implementations may include one or more application specific integrated circuits or chips. Some implementations may include a non-transitory machine-readable (eg, computer-readable) medium (eg, flash memory, optical disk, magnetic storage disk, etc.) having one or more lines of code executable by a machine stored thereon, whereby a machine can run the process as described here. As used herein, the term “non-transitory machine-readable medium” is defined to include any type of machine-readable storage medium and exclude propagated signals.

As used herein, the terms “circuit” and “network” refer to physical electronic components (e.g., hardware) and components that may constitute, be executed by, and/or otherwise related to hardware. means any software and/or firmware ("Code"). As used herein, for example, certain processors and memories may include a first "circuit" when executing one or more lines of code, and may include a second "circuit" when executing second or more lines of code. there is. As used herein, the term “and/or” means any one or more of the items in the list joined by “and/or”. As an example, “x and/or y” means any element of the set of three elements {(x), (y), (x, y)}. That is, "x and/or y" means "at least one of x and y". As another example, "x, y and/or z" is a set of seven elements {(x), (y), (z), (x, y), (x, z), (y, z), ( x, y, z)} means any element. That is, “x, y and/or z” means “at least one of x, y and z”. The term "exemplary" as utilized herein is meant to serve as a non-limiting example, instance, or illustration. The terms “for example” and “such as” as used herein refer to one or more non-limiting examples, instances or lists of examples. Circuitry, as utilized herein, provides the hardware and code (if necessary) necessary to perform a function, regardless of whether or not performance of the function is disabled or disabled (eg, by user configurable settings, equipment trim, etc.). It is “enabled” to perform a function simply by including it.

While the method and/or system of the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, it is to be understood that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the method and/or system of the present invention. will understand Additionally, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular condition or material to the teachings of this disclosure without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Accordingly, the methods and/or systems of the present invention are not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed. Instead, the method and/or system of the present invention will include substantially all implementations falling within the scope of the appended claims under the doctrine of equivalents.

Claims (20)

A brush conditioning system for conditioning a brush by an offline brush conditioning system, comprising:
conditioning surface;
a brush holding device configured to hold a brush;
a conduit configured to receive chemical from a source to deliver the chemical to either or both of the brush and the conditioning surface;
a manifold configured to accept chemicals from the conduit; and
A nozzle that attaches to the manifold and delivers the chemical to either or both of the brush and conditioning surface.
including,
The brush is configured to clean the surface of the semiconductor wafer;
A brush conditioning system wherein the conditioning surface and the brush are configured to contact each other to condition the brush. 2. The brush conditioning system of claim 1, wherein the chemical has a pH approximately in the range of 1 to 13. 2. The brush conditioning system of claim 1, wherein the chemical comprises either hydrogen fluoride or diluted hydrogen fluoride. 2. The brush conditioning system of claim 1, wherein the chemicals include one or more of deionized water, organic acids, surfactants, oxidizers, solvents, and alkaline chemicals. 2. The brush conditioning system of claim 1, wherein the chemical is delivered from the nozzle under pressure. 2. The brush conditioning system of claim 1 wherein the chemical is delivered directly from the nozzle either via drip or spray. 2. The brush conditioning system of claim 1, wherein the offline brush conditioning system includes multiple brush holding devices for conditioning the plurality of brushes, and wherein the conduit delivers the chemical to the plurality of brushes. 2. The brush conditioning system of claim 1, further comprising a valve configured to control delivery of the chemical by the conduit to a first flow rate. 9. The brush conditioning system of claim 8, wherein the valve is controlled manually or through an automatic control to deliver the chemical at a second flow rate different from the first flow rate. A brush conditioning method of conditioning a brush by an offline brush conditioning system, comprising:
accepting the chemical flow;
holding a brush, the brush configured to clean a surface of a semiconductor wafer, with a brush holding device;
bringing the brush and conditioning surface into contact with each other; and
delivering chemicals from nozzles attached to the manifold to either or both of the brushes and conditioning surfaces for conditioning;
Brush conditioning method comprising a. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the chemicals include any one of deionized water, hydrogen fluoride, organic acids, surfactants, oxidizing agents, solvents and alkaline chemicals. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the chemical is delivered directly to one or both of the brush and the conditioning surface. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the flow rate of the chemical is regulated by a valve. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the chemical is dripped onto or sprayed onto the brush. According to claim 10,
collecting at least a portion of the chemical delivered to either or both of the brush and the conditioning surface in one or more reservoirs; and
monitoring the volume of the chemical collected by the one or more reservoirs using a corresponding volume monitor for the one or more reservoirs;
Brush conditioning method further comprising. delete delete delete delete delete

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